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Under Fire: The Story of a Squad
Under Fire: The Story of a Squad

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Under Fire: The Story of a Squad
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!
I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"
And he turns his back.
"Hey, look out, boys!"
We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Under Fire: The Story of a Squad

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!
Line 2
I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"
Line 3
And he turns his back.
/ənd hiː tɜːrnz hɪz bæk/
Line 4
"Hey, look out, boys!"
Line 5
We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

alter verb US /ˈɔːltər/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading “"Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!”

bends noun US /bendz/

pain resulting from rapid change in pressure

From this reading “We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.”

blubber verb US /ˈblʌbər/

cry or whine with snuffling

From this reading “I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"”

frowning adjective US /ˈfraʊnɪŋ/

showing displeasure or anger

From this reading “We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.”

instinctively adverb US /ˌɪnˈstɪŋktɪvliː/

as a matter of instinct

From this reading “We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.”

seconds noun US /ˈsekəndz/

plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading “We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.”

shell noun US /ʃel/

ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun

From this reading “"Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!”

strain noun US /streɪn/

(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

From this reading “We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.”

All words in this reading · 62

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

Ah

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

allowedverbUS /əˈlaʊd/

past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

alterverbUS /ˈɔːltər/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading And he turns his back.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading And he turns his back.

bendsnounUS /bendz/

pain resulting from rapid change in pressure

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

blubberverbUS /ˈblʌbər/

cry or whine with snuffling

From this reading I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading "Hey, look out, boys!"

Doesn't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

flatadjectiveUS /flæt/

having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

frowningadjectiveUS /ˈfraʊnɪŋ/

showing displeasure or anger

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And he turns his back.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

Hey

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Hey, look out, boys!"

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading And he turns his back.

I'll

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"

instinctivelyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈstɪŋktɪvliː/

as a matter of instinct

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

it's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"

lanounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "Hey, look out, boys!"

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

others

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "Hey, look out, boys!"

reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

recognizedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/

plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

shellnounUS /ʃel/

ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

shelternounUS /ˈʃeltər/

a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

strainnounUS /streɪn/

(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading "Doesn't alter the fact that the shell is allowed, it's recognized--" "Ah, la, la!

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

thrownadjectiveUS /θroʊn/

caused to fall to the ground

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

turnsnounUS /tɜːrnz/

plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve

From this reading And he turns his back.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We strain our eyes, and one of us has thrown himself flat on the ground; others look instinctively and frowning towards the shelter that we have not time to reach, and during these two seconds each one bends his head.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I'll tell you what--you make me blubber just as much as you make me laugh!"

Chapter 11 of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad by Henri Barbusse holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 11 of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad contain?

Chapter 11 holds 424 sentences of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad by Henri Barbusse exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 11 of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Under Fire: The Story of a Squad

Common questions about reading Under Fire: The Story of a Squad by Henri Barbusse on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad?

Yes. All 6647 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4380 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4380, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Under Fire: The Story of a Squad take to read?

About 553 minutes of reading across 1330 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Under Fire: The Story of a Squad section by section

How to work through Under Fire: The Story of a Squad section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Under Fire: The Story of a Squad

Words and structures a reader meets early in Under Fire: The Story of a Squad, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Memory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Comrades
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Crouy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Blanc
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under Fire: The Story of a Squad; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.